Rachel Riley has taken a subtle swipe at Strictly Come Dancing, describing the experience as a 'toxic culture' where contestants 'learn how to hang on' rather than actually dance. The Countdown presenter, who appeared on the show in 2013, made the comments during an interview on the Shoot Your Shot podcast.
Riley, who was paired with professional dancer Pasha Kovalev, said: 'Absolutely not. No, you learn how to hang on, you don't have enough time to learn how to dance and I'd never danced.' She added that the schedule was gruelling, with filming for It Takes Two, rehearsals, and other commitments all squeezed into a week.
Despite her criticism, Riley revealed that she and Kovalev, whom she married in 2019, still enjoy dancing together when travelling. The couple have two daughters, Maven and Noa.
Riley's comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of Strictly's working environment, with former contestants and professionals speaking out about the pressures of the show. Kovalev, who left the programme in 2018, said it was 'time to move on' and described the 'hardest thing' as saying goodbye to each celebrity partner.
Riley has been a fixture on Countdown since 2009, succeeding Carol Vorderman as the programme's mathematical specialist. She returns to screens today at 2.10pm on Channel 4.
